


New Beginnings And Old Friends

by KarinaMay



Series: Learning Curve [5]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, i guess, i think, set roughly in 117, the continuation of "healthy communication" the series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:21:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27901405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KarinaMay/pseuds/KarinaMay
Summary: Caleb and Jester somewhat reluctantly come around to telling the others about their relationship.Spoilers for 118 only in the notes.
Relationships: Jester Lavorre & Caleb Widogast, Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast
Series: Learning Curve [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2012047
Comments: 15
Kudos: 65





	New Beginnings And Old Friends

**Author's Note:**

> I won't lie, I wasn't sure I was going to post this. After the honestly shocking reaction to 118 I've been hesitant to even look at the widojest tag because of how bad some people have been behaving. So before anything I'd like to very clearly state that I adore what happened in 118. Widojest are my babies, my comfort, but Laura and Travis created something really beautiful, and I'll tolerate no hate for that around here. 
> 
> On a more positive note: some of y'all actually requested this! I hope you like it <3

Telling some of them was easy, or rather really not necessary at all. 

* * *

Caleb glanced out the door of his quarters, down the vertical hallway where he could hear his friends’ boisterous conversation over the breakfast table. He usually wasn’t one to get up late, but after he and Jester had finally fallen back to sleep following his nightmare he’d slept better and deeper than he’d had in months, allowing him to actually sleep in a little bit instead of rising earlier than everyone else. Jester had snuck down from his room a mere twenty minutes ago to get changed. 

Caleb floated down the hallway, reaching Jester’s door just as she opened it and jumped out quite enthusiastically into the anti-gravity hall, nearly jumping right into him. 

“Whoa there,” Caleb said, catching her mid-air. He let out a breathy chuckle. “Watch your step - or jump, I guess.”

She grinned at him. “It’s fine, I wouldn’t have hurt you anyway, just bounced you across the hallway a bit. Have I mentioned I love the floating? Because I _really_ do.”

“I think you did mention you like floating, ja,” Caleb said. “But in a different context.”

She winked at him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. 

Just as she did, the door to Caduceus’ room opened behind them. They jumped apart - or really just floated apart gently - probably completely in vain, considering Caduceus’ general perceptiveness. 

Caduceus smiled his crooked smile at them. “Mornin’.”

“Ja, good morning,” Caleb managed. 

Caleb and Jester watched in silence as Caduceus floated down gently and went through the door into the dining room to join the others for breakfast, smiling to himself all the way. 

“Well, I guess that’s one down,” Jester said, looking back at Caleb still somewhat wide-eyed. 

“I guess so,” Caleb agreed. 

* * *

Yasha caught up to Caleb as they were plowing through the snow. It was starting to get later in the day, and as much as the mysterious magical aire of Eiselcross fascinated Caleb, he’d mostly spent the last hour being terribly cold. 

“Caleb, do you need my scarf?” Yasha asked, falling into step next to him. “You look a bit… blue.”

Caleb shook his head, pulling his coat a little tighter around his throat. “No, no, I’m fine.” He summoned a little flame into his hands. “See, I’m good.”

Yasha smiled and they walked next to each other in silence for a while. It was a comfortable silence as they concentrated on their track. It was one of the things Caleb appreciated about Yasha a lot: she understood that silence could be comfortable, though today it seemed she did have something to say though. 

“I told you it wasn’t too late,” she said softly. 

“Beau told you?” Caleb asked, keeping his voice low as well.

She shook her head. “She didn’t need to. You’ve been happier the past few days.”

Caleb smiled at that. “I guess I have been, ja.”

* * *

Telling some of them was harder. 

* * *

Jester knocked on Veth’s door after dinner. 

“What is it?” Veth yelled from inside.

“It’s me, Jester!” Jester yelled back. “Can I come in? I really need to talk to you!”

There was some shuffling inside, followed by a click and the door swung open. Veth was already in her nightgown - soft yellow and flowing, ochre ribbons at the edge of the puffy sleeves. 

“Is it girl talk?” Veth asked curiously, motioning Jester to follow her into the room. They sat down on the couch together by the fire. It was strangely comforting the way all their quarters were the same in their basic layout, it made every room feel even more like home. Jester still felt a bit anxious, irrationally so, she knew. Veth would be happy for her, and for Caleb especially. Still, Veth was so protective of Caleb, Jester had been feeling anxious about the prospect of this conversation the entire day, and now she was here, she couldn’t stop fidgeting.

“Kind of,” Jester answered, folding her legs beneath her on the couch. “You remember way back when, when I asked you if you’d ever kissed a boy? Like before I even knew about Yezza, right after Fjord saved my life?”  
“Yes, I remember,” Veth said, eying her curiously. 

“It didn’t really count, did it?” Jester asked, folding her hands in her lap.

Veth shrugged. “Well, you know, if it felt like it counted, maybe it did.”

Jester shook her head. “No, because I know now what it’s supposed to feel like.”

“Did you kiss Fjord again?” Veth asked, bouncing up in her seat, eyes wide. 

“No, no!” Jester replied quickly. “No. No, I - I kissed Caleb.” 

Veth stared at her for a moment, eyes widening even more. 

Jester bit her lip and looked down at her hands. “I wanted to tell you sooner, but it felt a little weird, you know? You’re like super protective of him, and I get that, of course, and was kind of worried what you’d think? And it’s only been a couple of days but I didn’t want you to find out like Caduceus did this morning because that didn’t seem fair, so here I am, I guess? Telling you?”

“Wait,” Veth said. “Wait, hold on. Back up. You just said you kissed him. What _else_ is going on?”

“Oh!” Jester said, clasping her hands over her mouth as she felt the blood rush to her cheeks. “I guess a bit more than that,” she said through her fingers. 

Veth jumped up on her knees on the couch, excitement lighting up her face. “Did you have _sex?_ ”

Jester nodded, hands still covering her mouth. 

“Oh gods _finally_!” Veth exclaimed. “That boy needed that. How was it? Wait, no, don’t tell me that, I really don’t wanna know. I think. Maybe I do. I’ll come back to that. How’s the feelings side of things?”

Jester slowly pulled her hands down. “Well… he’s very handsome. And kind. And very sweet. And I guess we kind of both said we’re in love with each other, so you know…”

“Jester that’s wonderful,” Veth said, smiling wide. “I’m happy for you both.”

“Thank you,” Jester said softly. She felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders and she relaxed in her seat. “It’s funny isn’t it? Me and Caleb?”

“It’s a little funny,” Veth agreed. “But so are both of you.”

* * *

“You gotta tell Fjord,” Beau said to Caleb. They were sitting in the library together, pouring over their notes, trying to connect the dots and find something they may not have noticed before. Or that was what Caleb had been doing; apparently Beau’s attention had been focussed elsewhere. 

“Seriously Caleb, you gotta,” she continued. “I get that you don’t wanna make a big deal out of the whole thing, but Fjord, ya know… It wouldn’t be fair not to tell him. As a friend.”

Caleb looked up from his work. Beau was looking at him intently, but he saw no judgement or disapproval in her eyes. Just concern.

“It’ll be worse if he finds out another way,” Beau concluded. 

“I know,” Caleb finally replied. “It’s just difficult. I don’t want to hurt him.”

“Oh yeah, it’ll suck.” 

“Thanks Beauregard.”

She punched his shoulder, and Caleb winced. He looked down at the sea of notes in front of them and sighed. “I should just go do it, shouldn’t I?”

Beau nodded. “Yeah, I got this.”

Caleb got up and patted her shoulder back. “You’re a good friend, Beauregard. To all of us.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. “Just go get it over with.”

Caleb left the library and floated up to Fjord’s room. He took a deep breath and knocked. In a sudden wave of panic he realized he might’ve needed to ask Jester if she was okay with him doing this, but she was talking to Veth and - 

Fjord opened the door. “Caleb,” he said, somewhat surprised. “What can I do for you?”

“I - I wanted to talk to you about something,” Caleb stammered. 

“Of course, come in,” Fjord said, stepping aside to allow him in. “Is something wrong? Something about the Tombtakers? Or the Assembly?”

“No, no, nothing like that,” Caleb answered. “It’s - it’s a bit… awkward, I suppose. It’s about Jester…”

Fjord didn’t reply immediately, but something changed in his eyes, softened.

“... and myself,” Caleb added. 

A silence stretched between the two of them as a wave of understanding washed over Fjord’s face.

“I see,” Fjord said after a while. “Right. All right then.”

“I didn’t want you to find out some other way,” Caleb said. He felt more than a bit awkward. He felt almost like a thief, having taken something that should’ve perhaps belonged to someone else. Fjord was certainly a better man than he was, than he ever would be. He shouldn’t be standing here bringing this news, it should be the other way around.

“Promise me you’ll make her happy,” Fjord said, breaking Caleb’s train of thought.

“Ja, of course,” Caleb answered. “I’ll try.”

“No, you’ll _do_ ,” Fjord said sternly. “That means no running away from her when it gets hard, no sacrificial bullshit, none of that. Understood, Widogast?”

“Loud and clear,” Caleb said, staring.

“And promise me you’ll allow her to make you happy too,” Fjord said, a bit more gently. 

The corners of Caleb’s mouth twisted upward a bit. “I promise.”

“Good,” Fjord said. “I won’t lie, it’ll take a bit of getting used to. But I am truly glad you told me.”

“Of course,” Caleb said. “Captain.”

Fjord shook his head, a smile creeping onto his lips. “I need a drink. How about you?”

The question came as a surprise.  
“Are you sure?” Caleb asked. 

“Yes,” Fjord answered as he walked over to the cord to summon a cat. “We’re friends, you and I, aren’t we?”

“Ja, of course,” Caleb agreed. “I’d love a drink.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the people who requested this <3 I hope y'all enjoyed. I would like to continue this series, writing Widojest is my comfort content, so I hope y'all will stick with me too. 
> 
> I love hearing from y'all in the comments or on [twitter](http://twitter.com/isacosplay) or [tumblr](http://mskarinamay.tumblr.com)
> 
> Don't forget to love each other. See you next time.
> 
> -X


End file.
